The Brewers Association has released a short video featuring photos of brewers and breweries from all 50 states in advance of American Craft Beer Week, which is May 12-18. Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland and Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. in Cincinnati represent Ohio.

“The rich, strong Scottish malts are perfectly balanced by the American hops,” BJ’s brewer Alex Puchner wrote in a blog post. “This beer can appeal to both ‘hop’ and ‘malt’ lovers alike. Not only that, but there is something very special about this beer as it is in part a product of such a well-respected, historic brewery.”

-- Drink Up Columbus has a Q&A with the brewmaster at Father John's Microbrewery in Bryan. That's the brewery, restaurant and brew-on-premise business inside a former Methodist church. "We’ve got a pretty small brewing system, so it’s easy for us to do experimental batches, and if they don’t work out, we haven’t lost much besides time," brewmaster Chuck Martin says. To read the full story, click here.

Barley's Smokehouse & Brewpub in Columbus is changing its name. Well, it's not much of a change. It's dropping the "Barley's" to distinguish itself from Barley's Brewing Co. in Columbus. (Both operations were started by the same ownership group but since have split.)

"Our new name, Smokehouse Brewing Company, reflects perfectly what we do -- award-winning microbrew and barbecue," owner Lenny Kolada said in an email. "Our logo ties our two passions, while retaining a piece of our old logo. As the founder of Barley's, it's scary and exciting to birth our new identity. Sixteen years in, it feels great to refresh."

-- The Willoughby News-Herald reports on Willoughby Brewing Co.'s gold medal win at the World Beer Cup for Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter. “We’ve always had a tremendous customer response to this beer, but to be recognized by our peers in a competition of such magnitude is a brewer’s dream,” brewmaster Rick Seibt says. To read the full story, which includes a short video, click here.

The Tremont Taphouse in Cleveland will host Stone Brewing Co. for a meet-the-brew crew event at 4 p.m. May 2. Stone fans will be able to chat with brewery quality assurance supervisor Rick Blankemeier and production warehouse lead Robbie Chandler.

Blankemeier and Chandler will be in Cleveland to celebrate the national release of Spröcketbier, a black rye Kölsch-style ale. They designed the recipe that won an interdepartmental competition dubbed the Stone Spotlight Series. Having their beer brewed, packaged and distributed nationally beginning April 21 was the first place prize.

Team Marketing Report, which keeps track of what it costs to attend professional sporting events, has released its 2014 Major League Baseball report. The analysis includes the cost of a small beer at the 30 ballparks.

The Cleveland Indians are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the cheapest beer at $4. The Cincinnati Reds come in at $5.50. The average price of a beer is $6.09. To check out the full report, click here.

-- Drink Up Columbus reports that Zauber Brewing Co. will host Maifest on May 10. The event will feature beer from Zauber, Four String and Sideswipe, and German food. To read the full story, click here.

As he started looking into opening a brewery a few years ago, he registered the name Lucky Star Brewing Co. Perrine, who lives in Lewisburg near the Indiana border, had no idea at the time where his brewery might land.

UPDATED:Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron has filed a federal trademark lawsuit against an Arizona brewery over a beer brand that bears a striking resemblance to Thirsty Dog Old Leghumper Robust Porter.

Sleepy Dog Brewery in Tempe, Ariz., has a Leg Humper Hefeweizen. Both labels feature a dog looking amorously at a woman's legs.

Cigar City brewmaster Wayne Wambles traveled to Cleveland this week to start work on Wandering Pelican Black Lager that will be released in 22-ounce bottles. Next week, Great Lakes will visit Tampa to make Wandering Pelican Black Ale that will be sold in 12-ounce cans.

-- AOL Travel put together a list of "50 Places to Drink Local Brews in 50 States." The recommendation for Ohio? AOL Travel suggests Burning River Pale Ale at Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland. (Of course, the site mentions you can drink while watching the Cuyahoga River and anybody who's been to Great Lakes knows you can't see the river from the brewpub.) To read the full list, click here.

Jordana Barrack, whose title at New Belgium Brewing Co. is coordinator of love and calenders, will serve as one of the keynote speakers April 24 at the 28th annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference at the Hilton West in Fairlawn. The one-day event is hosted by Kent State University's Ohio Employee Ownership Center.

New Belgium, the third-largest craft brewer in the U.S., became 100 percent employee-owned in January 2013. The brewery, based in Fort Collins, Colo., entered the Ohio market last year. It has about 480 workers.

Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. will release its newest beer, Ankle Biter Session IPA, at its Akron tasting room today (April 17). The taproom will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. and Scott's Fire & Ice food truck, which specializes in wood-fired pizzas, will be there from 5 to 8 p.m.

Ankle Biter is the brewery's first session IPA. It is dry-hopped with Mosaic hops and is only 4 percent alcohol by volume.

-- The Cincy Brew Jerks website reports on an unusual brewery-wine tour operation in Cincinnati. Night Shift Limousine will shuttle you around town in a hearse. "Yes, a Hearse," the website says. "While visiting Bad Tom Brewing, we watched as six men stumbled into the tap room. They all had the same thing to say about their tour. Pure Awesome. They were having a great time. The hearse was loaded up with snacks and drinks. We walked outside to get a look at this strange ride. Brad, the driver and owner of Night Shift Limousine, met us and gave us a quick tour. One look inside and we decided...this is ABSOULTELY going on the Jerks list of things to do this summer." To read the full report, click here.

Newport on the Levee, a retail-entertainment center along the Ohio River in Newport, Ky., wants to add a craft brewery-restaurant to its list of attractions.

The 490,000-square-foot complex, located across the river from downtown Cincinnati, is already home to the Newport Aquarium, a 20-screen AMC Theater, Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Mitchell's Fish Market, Dick's Last Resort, Bar Louie and other destinations.

-- The Atlantic reports on the state of the U.S. beer industry. "Beer lovers of America might be forgiven if their grasp of the current brew-scape feels iffy," author John Tierney writes. "Alice herself would be at home in this Wonderland. It's a world in which up is down, little is big, and there's no Blue Moon on the horizon." To read the full story, which includes graphics, click here.

-- Bloomberg Businessweek reports that the sales of Corona have surged since Constellation Brands acquired the entire brewery. The funny thing is that Corona is a bad beer and the only reason for its success is marketing, Bloomberg says. To read the full story, click here.

Listermann Brewing Co. has a new beer to ease those tax day blues. The Cincinnati brewery and tasting room announced that it will release An Audit Ale on Tuesday (April 15) on draft and in bottles at the brewery.

Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. will unveil a new beer tonight (April 11) at the Akron Art Museum as part of the Tony Feher exhibit opening. Buoys Ginger Honey IPA is a traditional English-style India pale ale with honey and ginger.

“A strong malt profile is balanced out with the additions of several English hop varieties,” the brewery says. “Honey and ginger added to the boil are noticeable but not overpowering. The ginger adds a smooth spiciness while honey gives body and flavor that helps complement the beer. Although the ABV is at a high 7.5 percent, the body and character allow for easy drinking. A fest beer but in an enjoyable summer form.”

Hoppin’ Frog Brewery is launching a new series of small batch beers available exclusively at its Akron taproom. The first beer, Infusion A Coffee Porter, will be released on draft and in bottles at 5 p.m. Tuesday (April 15) at The Tasting Room.

Infusion A is Hoppin’ Frog Silk Porter infused with “super-tasty swirls of chocolate and peanut butter flavor to its silky deliciousness.”

-- The Cincinnati Enquirer reports on Bridgetown Brew Works, a new brewery that will specialize in German styles. "Cincinnati has a handful of craft beer options, but few really represent our beer-loving legacy," James Gunnarson says. "By honoring our heritage, we're bringing some West Side flavor to the local beer market and giving the Queen City a new, authentically Cincinnati destination." To read the full story, click here.

The Magic Tree Pub & Eatery in Boardman will host a farm-to-table beer pairing dinner with Oskar Blues Brewery at 6:30 p.m. April 16. The dinner is part of the grand reopening of its redesigned dining room, now called the Wine & Spirit Room.

Brews Cafe in Granville is offering an exclusive collaboration beer made for the restaurant at Millersburg Brewing Co. The beer, available now on draft, is a session India pale ale called Instant Happiness.

"That’s just the name they came up with," bar manager Brian Ross said. "You get the beer in your mouth and you’re instantly happy."

Yellow Springs Brewery couldn’t ask for a better first year. The production brewery and tasting room won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival, brewer Jeffrey McElfresh was profiled on the Brewers Association website and Beer Advocate magazine named it as one of the “Class of 2013.”

Not bad publicity for a little seven-barrel brewery in little Yellow Springs. As the brewery celebrates its one-year anniversary this month, owner Nate Cornett admitted it's been an incredible first year.

-- Scene Magazine reports that Rick Semersky, owner of Sterle's Country House in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood, plans to launch a 10-barrel brewery on East 55th Street. "This will be an old-school brewery brewing pilsners and lagers — stuff that fits in with what we're doing at Sterle's," Semersky says. "You're not going to find any crazy hopped-up IPAs with funny, stupid names." To read the full story, click here.

-- The Huffington Post reports on the "The 10 Best Beers You've Probably Never Heard Of" and one of them is from Ohio. Thirsty Dog Wulver Wee Heavy Ale is No. 9 on the list. "This happens to be a leading candidate for the best BBA beer ever made," beer expert Jon Richards says. (P.S., if you're a loyal craft beer drinker, you probably have heard of these beers.) To read the full story, click here.

MillerCoors is accusing two veteran employees of embezzling millions from the brewer. The company has handed over an internal investigation to federal authorities for criminal prosecution.

"We are disappointed by this betrayal of pride and integrity by two longtime employees of the company," MillerCoors Chief Executive Officer Tom Long said in the memo reviewed by Bloomberg. "MillerCoors is seeking to recover the stolen funds from a combination of insurance and restitution in the criminal process."

-- Reuters reports that it can be annoying to produce the world's top-rated beer. While appreciative, the Trappist monks who brew Westvleteren XII are overwhelmed with phone calls and demands for the beer from their Belgian abbey. "It's good to know our customers appreciate what we make," Brother Godfried said. To read the full story, click here.

-- The Cincinnati Enquirer reports on a new brewery planned for Williamsburg. The Old Firehouse Brewery hopes to open by the Fourth of July. "We're taking the brewing seriously, but we're not taking anything else seriously," owner Adam Cowan says. "We want to have a good time." To read the full story, click here.

Catawba Island Brewing Co. is expanding into cans. The production brewery and tasting room just outside Port Clinton hopes to release its Whitecap Wit in mid-May or earlier with the help of Buckeye Canning, a mobile canning operation.

Cuyahoga Community College’s first homebrewing class filled up so quickly that the school is offering it again. “Apparently people cannot get enough beer,” college spokesman John Horton said in an email. “Imagine that!”

The new class, called Brewing Craft Beer and provided under the college’s Community Education program, will begin May 6 and run for four Tuesdays at Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland. The cost is $74.99.

-- Columbus Brewing Co. was named "best brewery" by readers of Columbus Alive! in the 2014 Best of Columbus competition. "The last few years have been a gilded age for Columbus brewing, but CBC was producing its own selection of awesome beers before it was cool," the publication says. "That being said, it’s pretty awesome newbies Seventh Son Brewing Co. gave them a run for their money, losing by only a few percentage points." To see the full rundown of awards, click here.